Tag Archive for: Vigilant

Ransomware attacks on hospitals highlight need for vigilant cybersecurity

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BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Recent ransomware attacks on health care providers have put a spotlight on their need for diligent security measures.

Just last month, the BlackCat hacker group orchestrated a cyberattack on Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group.

The BlackCat group — also known as ALPHV or Noberus, according to the U.S. Justice Department — demanded $22 million from the health care giant after attacks made payments and prescription services largely unavailable.

A UnitedHealth Group webpagededicated to its “cyber response” shows half of restoration efforts are complete, with two more in progress as of March 15 and the week of March 18.

Those in progress include restoring provider electronic payments and reconnection/testing of its claims system.

In a December 2023 release about a ransomware disruption campaign, the DOJ called the BlackCat group the “second-most prolific ransomware-as-a-service variant in the world,” noting its targets of computer networks of more than 1,000 victims.

The Feb. 21 attack prompted the FBI and HSS to send an advisory days later, urging security specialists to “protect and detect against malicious activity” after noticing BlackCat affiliates “primarily targeting the health care sector.”

“Most places wouldn’t be life and death, but in hospitals it is there. So the need to protect people in a hospital environment is there.”

Kermit Burley, Information Technology program coordinator at Penn State Lehigh Valley

Last year, the same group — which reportedly has ties to Russia — attacked Lehigh Valley Physician Group.

BlackCat hackers then posted patient information and nude photos of cancer patients receiving radiation oncology treatment at LVPG Delta Medix in Lackawanna County to the dark web.

Federal agencies like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency advise against paying ransom for cyberattacks. But for health care providers, that isn’t always an option, said Kermit Burley, Penn State Lehigh Valley lecturer.

“Most places wouldn’t be life and death, but in hospitals it is there,” Burley said. “So the need to protect…

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Zero Trust— the vigilant enterprise

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The Zero Trust Architecture

In the traditional system of trusted access, a high-security clearance person entity could access the entire IT system or most of it depending on the job’s requirement. However, ZTA operates on a ‘Deny by Default’ and ‘Always Verify’ principles. This means that access needs to be defined for not only the person entity but also for the non-person entity (device, network, application and data being accessed); and is limited to that specific purpose. The access is continuously evaluated throughout its process lifecycle in terms of trust and the risk associated. Based on the changes in metrics, the ZTA dynamically enforces the privilege associated with each access.

Every time a person or a non-person entity with elevated privileges seeks access, ZTA allows a continuously evaluated access lifecycle based on a combination of historical and current trust scores. For instance, the principle treats application access as separate from network access; connecting to a network does not mean access to an application too. This prevents malicious actors’ lateral movement and contains the blast radius of a potential breach. Even if the malicious actor is in possession of leaked person entity credentials, the approach of “Never Trust, Always Verify” limits the damage and prevents a potential breach. 

ZTA protects a firm from external as well as internal threats. Segmenting the network into countless micro-perimeters prevents infiltrators from progressing towards the core data. In addition, it constantly verifies users and devices.

Cyber AI and ML further strengthen ZTA’s ability to continuously evaluate the trust associated with each access and enforce dynamic policies to create a more robust cyber defense architecture. This results in an enhanced user experience, agility, and adaptability while making policy management stronger. Cloud-based ZTA also increases scalability and ease of adoption.

Implementing ZTA

According to Gartner, 60% of organizations will embrace ZTA as a starting point for security by 2025. However, the approach requires a cultural shift in thinking and communication, as it is not a single technology,…

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FBI reports rise in cybercrimes against higher ed targets; employees must remain vigilant to protect WVU credentials | E-News

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A recent FBI report on an uptick in cybercrimes in the higher education sector is a reminder to all employees that protecting University systems and data is a shared responsibility, and everyone has a role to play. While WVU has taken many steps to secure networks, computers and data, the threats are constantly changing, and faculty and staff must remain vigilant.

Here are some ways you can help defend WVU’s data:

  • Never use your WVU Login username and/or password on non-WVU sites. When those credentials are stolen from Netflix or Facebook, cybercriminals can use them to open a door into WVU systems.

  • Secure your WVU Login password. Don’t share it with anyone or write it down for someone to find.

  • Use a strong password or phrase. Ten characters is good, 12 even better. Use these tips to create strong passwords.

  • Be skeptical. Receive a suspicious-looking email? Don’t reply or click any links. Use the Report Message button in Outlook email or forward it as an attachment to [email protected].

WVU has already implemented many of the FBI’s recommended security measures to secure networks, computers and data, including: implementing two-factor authentication systemwide; limiting remote access to WVU systems, devices and data; enabling remote, automatic security updates to all WVU-owned and -managed computers; training and conducting phishing simulations; restricting access for people with administrative privileges on databases and servers; and segmenting networks to prevent unauthorized access.

“Security-related changes to the way WVU works are just part of the modern reality,” says Interim Chief Information Officer Brice Knotts. “Research universities like ours are data-rich targets for bad guys, and the threats are relentless and constantly changing. We need to be proactive in addressing them.”

That’s why developing a comprehensive, long-range Information Security Strategy is one of the foundational projects in the WVU Modernization Program,” Knotts said.

According to the report from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), Russian cybercriminals in January 2022 sold or shared public access to college and university networks across the…

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Martin County: vigilant about cyber security | News, Sports, Jobs – Fairmont Sentinel

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Martin County: vigilant about cyber security | News, Sports, Jobs  Fairmont Sentinel
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